Distribution and advance platform Kahuna has introduced a $1 million seed elevate. Picture Credit score: Gabriel Gurrola
AI-powered distribution, promotion, and funding platform Kahuna has scored $1 million in seed capital and set its sights on continued growth initiatives.
Headquartered in London however possessing a big presence in Turkey, Kahuna described the spherical and its wider buildout ambitions to DMN. Heretofore bootstrapped, the corporate says it “identifies, funds, and scales rising unbiased artists.”
On the high stage, that features commission-based distribution with no upfront charges, in accordance with the entity. On the invention and financing sides, Kahuna is claimed to harness AI each to determine high-potential expertise and to undertaking streaming earnings when paying advances.
Usually totaling between $5,000 and $20,000 a pop, these advances are recoupable solely by way of DSP royalties, the enterprise informed DMN. “We recoup a share of your revenue till it’s paid again – no curiosity, no possession taken,” the suitable web site reads.
In the meantime, the identical website additionally touts a lot of capabilities extending however not confined to playlists, sync, and adjoining efforts to enhance monetization.
Again to the $1 million seed elevate, Revo Capital supported Kahuna as a part of its (Revo’s) ongoing $100 million third fund. Allowing for the distributor’s aforementioned presence in Turkey, Revo payments itself because the nation’s main VC.
Kahuna informed DMN that it’s going to use the newly obtained tranche to bankroll further advances in addition to continued product and data-science growth. Concerning its present userbase, the corporate indicated that it’d already onboarded north of 250 artists, amongst them Evdeki Saat and Lara Çayan.
It most likely doesn’t want saying, however there’s actually a monetary upside related to discovering promising musicians, spearheading efficient advertising initiatives, and acquiring pursuits in growth-positioned catalogs alongside the way in which.
As such, it was solely final month that artist-advance supplier beatBread introduced $124 million in contemporary funding. And March noticed Duetti – which, it must be emphasised, offers in straight catalog investments versus advances – safe $200 million of its personal.
All informed, even with out accounting for the ABS insanity, Kahuna’s $1 million seed spherical has pushed 2025’s YTD core music business funding additional previous $3.9 billion. Particularly given the prevalence of gargantuan raises – see the $1.2 billion Warner Music and Bain Capital JV – proof strongly means that the sum will crack $4 billion sooner slightly than later.
